---
title: 6 Secrets for a Faster Metabolism
description: If Metabolism 101 were a class, you'd be the teacher's pet: You never skip breakfast—you know a little food in the a.m. kick-starts the day's...
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author: TIME
article:opinion: false
article:content_tier: free
article:published_time: 2014-04-11T13:10:13.000Z
article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:40:26.289Z
article:section: Health
og:title: 6 Secrets for a Faster Metabolism
og:description: If Metabolism 101 were a class, you'd be the teacher's pet: You never skip breakfast—you know a little food in the a.m. kick-starts the day's...
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og:image:height: 781
og:image:alt: Caucasian woman lifting weights
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twitter:title: 6 Secrets for a Faster Metabolism
twitter:description: If Metabolism 101 were a class, you'd be the teacher's pet: You never skip breakfast—you know a little food in the a.m. kick-starts the day's...
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---
# 6 Secrets for a Faster Metabolism
> Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material.
> Last updated: August 2026.
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## Video: Should I Eat Butter?
[Watch (HLS stream): Should I Eat Butter?](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/MlbiwnQ6.m3u8) (1:46)
_Published 2015-06-17. While few health experts would encourage you to eat more of it, 2.5 out of 5 experts gave butter the thumbs up._
by
[Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/)
## Health.com
Contributor
Apr 11, 2014 1:10 PM UTC
Caucasian woman lifting weights
Caucasian woman lifting weights Getty Images
by
[Health.com](https://time.com/author/health-com/)
## Health.com
Contributor
Apr 11, 2014 1:10 PM UTC
If Metabolism 101 were a class, you’d be the teacher’s pet: You never skip breakfast—you know a little food in the a.m. kick-starts the day’s calorie burn. And you don’t crash diet, either, because that leads your body to hang on to Every. Last. Calorie. Ready for the advanced course? We found out what real people with high metabolism do right. Adopt their ways to shrink your waist and get in peak shape.
Health.com: [20 Snacks That Burn Fat](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20682477,00.html)
## Eat the correct number of calories
Science time! Metabolism is the chemical process in the body that converts the food you eat into fuel. The result: You get the energy that keeps you going each day. Your basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the number of calories per day your body naturally burns at rest, says Louis Aronne, MD, an obesity specialist at the New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center. Knowing your number is key because it means you’ll be aware of exactly how many calories to consume to maintain your weight (or lose or gain, if need be).
Health.com: [25 Ways to Cut 500 Calories a Day](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20454528,00.html)
## Calculate your calorie burn
Of course, you don’t just sit around all day—even a couch potato has to lift the remote once in a while. So in order to get a more accurate figure, factor in how active you are by [using this calculator](http://www.active.com/fitness/calculators/calories). Your result is the number of calories per day you need to maintain your current weight. Want to lose? Shave 500 extra calories a day by eating less, working out more or, ideally, doing a combo. You’ll drop 1 to 2 pounds per week.
### QUIZ: Should You Eat This or That?
Which is better for you: Half cup of ice cream or 3 scoops of sorbet? Getty Images (4)
Answer: A half cup of ice cream If you eat what you’re craving, you’re more likely to feel satisfied and eat less. And scoop for scoop sorbet contains twice the sugar with none of the filling dairy protein and fat. Getty Images (5); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: Real butter or spray on fake butter? Getty Images; Tara Johnson for TIME
Answer: Butter Serving size for spray butters (even low-calorie ones) are around a 1/3 second spray. What on earth does that mean? You're better off using a small amount of real butter as opposed to guessing how much you're using of the mystery melange of up to 20 ingredients. Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: A turkey burger or a sirloin burger? Getty Images (2)
Answer: Sirloin burger Restaurant turkey burgers are often made with dark meat and the skin, so they’re not necessarily better for you (and for the record, they aren't low-fat). You can get a sirloin burger that’s 95% lean meat and gives you 20 g of protein. Just be careful with the toppings. Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: Almonds or pretzels? Getty Images (2)
Answer: Almonds Almonds are high in protein, fiber and fat and will keep you feeling fuller longer. Give high-sodium pretzels about an hour and you'll feel hungry again thanks to the high-carb no-fat or protein content. Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: Special K or eggs? AP; Getty Images
Answer: Eggs In the morning, you want a meal that will fill you up. Eggs offer protein and fat for satiety, but Special K cereal really only offers carbs and, well, air. If you want carbs to kick off the day, you're better off pairing eggs with a slice of 100% whole grain toast. Getty Images (1); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: Fat free salad dressing or regular salad dressing? Tara Johnson for TIME
Answer: Regular salad dressingTo absorb fat soluble vitamins like Vitamins E and K in vegetables you need to consume them with a fat to aid nutrient absorption. Fat-free dressing, meanwhile, is low-calorie but gets its flavor from added sugar and salt. Tara Johnson for TIME (5); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: A low fat cookie or dark chocolate? Getty Images (2)
Answer: Dark chocolate “People believe fat free is calorie free,” says Keri Gans, a registered dietitian in New York City. “Go for the real thing.” Fat free cookies tend to be high in carbs, sugar and fake sugar. Try a nice piece of antioxidant-rich dark chocolate instead. Getty Images (2); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
Which is better for you: Low fat Greek yogurt or 100 calorie Yoplait yogurt? Tara Johnson for TIME
Answer: 2% Greek YogurtA little fat is good in the morning to keep you full—plus it has upwards of 17g of protein per container. Fat-free "fruit" yogurt is high in sugar—7 to 10 g per serving—and lower in protein. Tara Johnson for TIME (2); Gif by Mia Tramz for TIME
## Make workouts a regular thing
“Doing cardio exercise three to five times a week is associated with a higher metabolic rate at rest,” says Wayne Westcott, PhD, professor of exercise science at Quincy College, in Quincy, Mass. That means that even when out of the gym, your body is burning above and beyond what it would have had you never hauled butt over there. And there’s new research to show how you can boost your rate while you’re exercising, too. You’ve probably heard of Tabata, a workout in which, for four minutes, you alternate 20 seconds of all-out effort with 10 seconds of rest. When Michele Olson, PhD, professor of exercise physiology at Auburn University, in Auburn, Ala., had subjects try it with squat jumps, they burned 13.5 calories per minute; most moderate-intensity cardio burns just 6 or 7 calories per minute. “You can do it with almost any exercise,” she says, like sprints, jumping jacks or—better yet—burpees.
**Health.com:** [20 Ways to Torch 200 Calories](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20395219,00.html)
## Don’t blow off lifting
A pound of muscle burns more calories than a pound of fat. Up to nine times the amount, in fact. “Lifting weights is the top way to stave off age-related metabolic drop,” says Pamela Peeke, MD, assistant clinical professor of medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.
## Never yo-yo diet
Yet another reason not to let your weight seesaw: You’ll hamstring your metabolism. “My patients with the lowest metabolisms are the weight cyclers,” says Scott Isaacs, MD, clinical instructor of medicine at the Emory University School of Medicine. “When you lose weight, you lose muscle and fat, but when you gain it back, it’s mostly fat, which burns fewer calories.”
**Health.com:** [The 10 Most Filling Foods for Weight Loss](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20752903,00.html)
## Have a bedtime snack (gasp!)
Forget what you think you know about not eating after 8 p.m. Two recent Florida State University studies found that having 150 calories about 30 minutes before you go to sleep—that’s an extra 150 calories _added_ to your day, not taken out of your daily allotment—boosted metabolism in the morning, compared with having none. For best results, your p.m. snack should be protein (we like low-fat milk or cottage cheese). The one caveat is that this applies only if you’re exercising regularly. But you are, aren’t you?
[_This article originally appeared on Health.com._](http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20743007,00.html)
## Transcript
Americans eat almost 23 sticks of butter each year. But while few health experts will encourage you to eat more of it, 2. 5 out of 5 experts say yes to butter. [ MUSIC ] There was a time when butter would've been a clear cut no. After all, it's a block of fat made with churned milk, and sometimes with added salt. Just one tablespoon of salted butter has 36 % of your daily limit for saturated fat. But recent research suggests that saturated fat might not be as bad as previously thought, says Nina Teicholz. Although it increases levels of LDL cholesterol, which is associated with higher rates of heart disease, Saturated fat, also seems to increase HDL cholesterol, which might help ease some of those effects.
It's safe in moderation, and it's a natural source of added fat, agrees Julia Zumpano. She adds, that's it's a much better choice, than buttery spreads, that contain hydrogenated oils. But David Katz, opts for olive oil instead, which is high in monounsaturated fats, and is proven to improve health. Even if saturated fat is, at best, not harmful, that doesn't mean it's beneficial, he says. On a healthy food spectrum, ranging from blueberries to Coke, Walter Willett says he would put butter somewhere in the middle, maybe a little closer t o the Coke. And Dariush Mozaffarian gave a neutral thumb, saying there's no evidence it's good for you, but little evidence for major harm.
So, what does all this mean for your eating habits? Walter Willis suggests saving the butter for a special occasion, when the flavor is essential. For me, he says, that's several times a year with lobster. [ MUSIC ]
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